Orange Empire Railway Museum

January 23, 2017, 5 Comments

Recently Patrick and I went to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris (about an hour and a half east of Los Angeles) with a couple of friends for a day filled with not just train history, but a glimpse into the history of Los Angeles transit, as well as added bits of Disney history!…

A Stroll Down Mane Street

December 18, 2016, 1 Comment

No, that’s not a typo, I really did mean “mane” like a horse’s mane, because today I’m sharing some images from one of my favorite high desert locations, Pioneertown, and it really is Mane Street here. Just after my family left from visiting for my grandmother’s services, Patrick’s mother came to visit for a week,…

Ghost Towns along Highway 49

September 16, 2016, 8 Comments

I am sorry to report I don’t have any images from our time spent in Portland. I was incredibly busy constantly visiting with friends and family, and shopping of course! What I do have to show for our trip though are some shots I took of some ghost towns. we visited during our journey back…

Sabado en la Plazita

July 18, 2016, 13 Comments

Over the weekend a few friends and I got together for a Saturday afternoon at Olvera Street, dining on delicious Mexican food, peeking into the museums, and shopping the unique stalls and shops along the oldest stretch of Los Angeles. We dined at Casa La Golondrina Mexican Cafe, which opened in 1928, and is located within…

Museum of Neon Art

June 21, 2016, 6 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I spent a day shopping in Burbank (I came home with quite a few goodies which will show up sooner or later on the blog, I’m sure) followed by a visit to the Museum of Neon Art. I would likely say that signage from the mid-20th century is my favorite…

A Return to the Autry

May 21, 2016, 8 Comments

A few years ago during a visit to California we took time to visit the Autry Museum of the American West. I was slightly crushed over the fact I didn’t blog about it, which was for a combination of reasons. First, it was very overwhelming! There is so much stuff at the Autry, and my…

Mission Santa Barbara

May 17, 2016, 10 Comments

UPDATE: It is important to remember that while California Missions have been hailed as places of peace, they also have deep and complicated histories, including slavery, violence, and forced religious conversion. Over the weekend Patrick and I drove up the coast and crossed another one of California’s Missions off of the list, Mission Santa Barbara,…

The Ancient History of California at the La Brea Tar Pits

January 17, 2016, 5 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I went to the La Brea Tar Pits. Finally! We had been wanting to go since we moved, but I wanted to wait until I found myself a piece of jewelry featuring my favorite prehistoric creature, the saber-toothed cat (formally known as the Smilodon), which I happily found on Etsy…

Saying “Hola” to Olvera Street

June 27, 2015, 11 Comments

One of the “touristy” things I never did when I visited California before was visit Olvera Street. And over the weekend we finally remedied that. Olvera Street is considered to be the birthplace of Los Angeles, as it is home to some of its first structures. The first brick building constructed in the LA area…

Mission San Juan Capistrano

June 18, 2015, 8 Comments

UPDATE: It is important to remember that while California Missions have been hailed as places of peace, they also have deep and complicated histories, including slavery, violence, and forced religious conversion. One of my favorite things about California history is that of the Spanish missions. It is a goal of mine to visit each of…